


(Player) Manual

by buttermagic (heraldmage)



Category: Young Wizards - Diane Duane
Genre: Gen, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-15
Updated: 2016-05-15
Packaged: 2018-06-08 14:07:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6858097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heraldmage/pseuds/buttermagic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kit in some kind of full immersion D&D LARP exercise.</p>
            </blockquote>





	(Player) Manual

**Author's Note:**

> First time I do something like this. Forcing myself to post, so very little editing, any comments, corrections, suggestions welcome, just be kind to the n00b. :)
> 
> Post-GWP. Not really any spoilers.

**TIMEFIX:** Indeterminate, post-Invitational.

 

“This is getting out of hand…” Kit muttered as he lied on his back, several stones digging into his spine and his head spinning just a little bit. His clothes felt weird. He knew he was still technically wearing the shorts and button up shirt he’d put on this morning, but they now felt stiff and heavy around him and he knew once he opened his eyes he’d see something more typical of the cover of a high fantasy novel full of knights and dragons.

“What?” Nadim asked from where he was lying on his face, a step and a half to his left.

“I said it… MOVE!” With a grunt , making them roll just enough to avoid the nasty edge of a gigantic axe from splitting their head in half. Kit pushed on Nadim’s side, thankfully Nadim’s clothes had morphed into some sort of dark leather gear, and he kept calling himself a ‘rouge’ even though the colour was nowhere to be seen. The push made him swear and roll, just in time for a big shiny double-headed axe to slam itself into the ground between them, where the other boy’s head used to be.

“RUN!” A voice behind them both screamed, echoing a few chambers away.

Kit couldn’t make out who it was, but the advice seemed good as through the suspended dirt and dust a towering creature that looked half-minotaur, half one of those octopeds from just on the edge towards the interstellar medium, he could never recall their name in any of their languages. Trust a wizard to make a minotaur scarier than it already was.

It was also creepily silent.

The only noises in the worn stone hallways were those made by Nadim and Kit running ragged, it took an incredible amount of will for Kit not to turn around every other step and look at the looming figure in the dark behind them.

It would have taken more if Nadim hadn’t been checking for traps as he ran, he sprinted left and right, hugging the walls one minute and walking an invisible line like he was on a tight-rope. Kit did his best to imitate his steps.

As they turned a corner he took a moment to look at their pursuer and noticed that although it was stepping all over the place and sometimes bangin that axe against the walls, it wasn’t triggering any of the traps on its way.

“Cheat,” Kit muttered and turned back to face forward, just in time to see Nadim’s head disappear into a big black hole in the ground…

Everything hurt.

This was a situation Kit had gotten too used to in the years since he took his Oath, but it didn’t make it any easier or nicer.

He shifted onto his side and tried to look around but the image blurred and swimmed and he closed his eyes again quickly.

“Nadim?” he called for his fellow party member.

“Alive. I think.”

“I’m sure Timeheart doesn’t hurt like this.”

“Oh, the comfort,” came the sarcastic reply.

Once it felt like he might not cover himself, the floor, and Nadim with the contents of his stomach, Kit opened his eyes again and looked up.

A square of dim light was the only source illumination down here it seemed. One of the edges shifted and Kit recognized the distorted shape of their pursuer.

“At least it doesn’t seem like he’s gonna jump after us,” Nadim said.

“Sure, but is it because he doesn’t like heights, or because there is something worse down here?”

“That’s a fabulous thought,” Nadim shot at him, reverting to his sarcasm as he stood up. Kit made a quick calculation and thought they had fallen at least 4 or 5 metres. No wonder he hurt, it was a miracle he hadn’t broken anything.

“Call it experience,” Kit replied with a smile, then his brow furrowed. “This is… not his usual style, though.”

“The GM? You know him.”

“Yeah, he runs our more serious exercises up on the Moon.”

“I’ve heard about those,” Nadim pointed at the only way out of the pit they’d fallen into with a raised eyebrow, that looked suddenly very dramatic as a dot of light appeared on the tip of his finger, “are they good?”

“Very good,” Kit replied and with a nod they started walking together, Nadim’s light guiding the way.

“I’ve been meaning to ask for a spot at some point, but you know how it is…”

“Always on active duty, or catching up while not on duty.”

“Exactly.” Nadim smiled. “Not that I like complaining about it, but it’s the reason I came to this thing, I got a notification a spot had opened and I finished my chores early, but I’ll probably pay for it by being exhausted tomorrow morning.”

“Yeah, enjoying ourselves shouldn’t take so much effort.”

“Right? And the worse thing, I know I came here to have some fun, escaping a crazed monster in a ridiculous maze and through it all I know…”

“You’re learning things.”

“Like the fact I can now use that cushion spell in less than a second, yeah,” Nadim said, a bit of pride in his voice, and Kit was impressed, Nadim was a couple years younger than him, throwing a spell like that while falling was not small feat. Kit had thought they’d gotten lucky, that the illusion magic had helped, he hadn’t had time as he fell behind the other boy.

“Which will come in handy on High Road.”

“No energy wasted.”

“No energy wasted,” Kit agreed. “Let’s try to make it out alive then.”

“Agreed.”

“If we can reunite the group-”

“Party,” Nadim corrected him. “Shoulda never split up.” Kit raised an eyebrow. “You really have never roleplayed?”

“I was curious, but the kids in my class were older and not welcoming.”

“Typical.” Nadim shook his head. “It’s fine, I’ll catch you up quick, for now, make sure you keep that shield up.”

Kit was about to ask what shield when a roar like something out of a movie stopped them in their tracks and Kit realized he had instinctively raised his arm… with a shield.

“Huh,” was all the reaction Kit got as a blast of fire came rolling down the hallway faster than a train and smashed into him. It split in two like by magic around Kit and Nadim scorching the walls around them and leaving a terrible smell.

“Tolda ya.” Nadim peeked around the shield and then stood up. “Dragonhead trap. Nasty.”

“Is it me or does some of this seem a bit haphazard?”

“Dungeon crawls tend to be very random in my experience.” Nadim said, although he didn’t seem too sure.

“Yeah, random is not Ronan’s style. I’ve known him for years, despite the laid-back act he’s as thorough as any wizard, _specially_ with these events that require so much energy. What’s more, it feels like there has been a shift.”

“Yeah, the Minotaur was a bit of a weird one. Doesn’t seem to be following any of the rules either.”

“Right, keep watch thirty seconds.”

Kit set the shield on the ground, a satisfying _thunk_ as the pointed bottom edge hit the ground and closed his eyes. Reaching out to the game-maker was a breach of protocol, but Kit wasn’t trying to cheat, so set out and searched for Ronan’s presence… and found an automated message.

 **SORRY, RONAN HAD BEEN CALLED ON AN EMERGENCY ASSIGNMENT. REPLACEMENT GAME MAKER** “Cel-Ray” **HAS TAKEN OVER AND THE EXERCISE SHOULD CONTINUE AS PLANNED.**

Kit opened his eyes and stared at a confused-looking Nadim.

“What?” Nadim asked, staring nervously from side to side.

“Nita, my partner, just took over the game.”

“Cool...maybe we’ll get a break n-” Nadim looked at Kit again and stopped talking, brow furrowed, then looked dismayed. “Wait, Nita? Nita Callahan of the…”

“Enacture, yeah.”

“Suggestion?” Nadim asked immediately, and the part of Kit’s brain that wasn’t currently dismayed, excited, and making sure he hadn’t done anything particularly stupid recently, approved of Nadim showing very good sense in the field, making sure he’s add a note to his Manual for future exercises.

“Run. Run fast.” Kit grinned and took his own advise, shield raised, armour sparkling in the artificial light.


End file.
